Tuguegarao mayor apologizes, says he regrets leaving city as Ulysses looms

Photo from Tuguegarao City mayor Jefferson Soriano Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — Tuguegarao City Mayor Jefferson Soriano on Monday said he regrets leaving the city to celebrate his birthday before massive flooding inundated Cagayan due to Typhoon Ulysses. 

 In an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel, Soriano said he regrets leaving and apologized that the city government was not able to anticipate the worst flooding in the city in four decades. 

 “Of course, I really regretted going to Manila that time. But I really did not expect, even the people who were requesting for rescue at the height of November 13, they did not expect that the water would be that big,” he said. 

Heavy rainfall and massive flooding spawned by Typhoon Ulysses sunk many parts of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan last week. (Photo courtesy of David Te)

“Traditionally we only had one problem, one area is the problem in Tuguegarao which was very manageable, but the rise of the water we really did not expect. I would like to apologize for that,” he added.

 Soriano earlier drew flak on social media after netizens found out that he was out of town to celebrate his birthday with his family during the the onslaught of the typhoon. 

 Netizens earlier shared a now-deleted Instagram photo of Jefferson’s daughter, former model and entrepreneur Bea Soriano-Dee posted on November 11. In that photo, the two were seen all smiles as they celebrated the mayor’s birthday out of town.

 He said the city government prepares for flooding but did not expect its magnitude during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.

 Soriano earlier explained that there was no storm signal in Tuguegarao when he left and that he had attempted to return as soon as he learned that the typhoon battered the city.

 “I was here at the height of the flooding. I tried my best to reach my area, our area here in Tuguegarao. Of course I really regretted going out really last November 8. Had I known that it will rise this much then I would not have gone,” he also said.

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